Château Pontet-Canet 2012

Château Pontet-Canet 2012

The Estate

The history of Château Pontet-Canet began in 1705, when Jean-François de Pontet, the future governor of the Médoc, established a vineyard north of Pauillac. The acquisition of land in the locality of Canet in 1757 gradually gave rise to an estate that took its definitive name in 1781. After its classification in 1855, the estate passed into the hands of the Cruse family in 1865, before being acquired by Guy Tesseron in 1975. Alfred Tesseron took over the management in 1994, opening a new period of transformation, which is now continued by his daughter Justine. The vineyard covers 81 hectares, between the prestigious terroirs of Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Lafite Rothschild. Its historic heart occupies a ridge of Garonne gravel over a limestone subsoil, particularly favourable to Cabernet Sauvignon. The cooler soils, where clay and limestone mix, are home to Merlot in particular. Some vines date back to the late 1940s, while the average age of the vineyard is 50 years. From 2004, Alfred Tesseron committed the estate to a profound change in its farming practices, with a first biodynamic trial on 14 hectares. This approach was extended to the entire estate the following year, leading in 2010 to dual organic and biodynamic certification, a first among the Grands Crus Classés du Médoc. Alongside the historic Skawinski vat room, built in the 19th century, the estate has a concrete vat room inaugurated in 2005 and a space dedicated to amphorae since 2017. Ageing combines oak barrels and concrete amphorae to preserve the distinctiveness of the different terroirs. Château Pontet-Canet stands out for its wines that are both deep and precise, with a tannic structure that combines density, finesse and suppleness. This unique identity within the fine wines of Pauillac is shaped by the diversity of the soils and a constant pursuit of purity.